In fiscal year 2002-03, the most recent public accounts, the Auditor General spent $71.7 million. Page 44 of the Conservative platform shows an increase in the Auditor General's budget of $100 million per year, $500 million over the five years, 2004-09. (The five year total eliminates any interpretation of the annual sum as being rounding errors.) Could the Auditor efficiently spend a 140% increase in her budget? Don't expect her to say as she would not think of interfering in an election campaign.

The Conservative platform document uses the words "Auditor General" 17 times. That pales when compared to the 96 times the word "health" is mentioned but it is more than twice as many times as the word "defence" is used.

Stephen Harper needs to understand that the role of the Auditor General is not to manage government, but to audit and report on how government manages. Harper appears to want to change the role and hand his responsibility to the Auditor. His platform says "We are laying out concrete changes - increased power over spending for the Auditor General". The role of the Auditor is to attest to the accuracy of the financial statements and to report on whether the government has obtained value for money. If an Auditor assumes the role of approving expenditures, then who is going to audit the Auditor? The system doesn't work if the Auditor is co-opted into being the body that approves expenditures.

Harper's platform also says a Conservative government would "Direct the Auditor General to audit all federal granting programs and recommend changes to reduce waste and fraud." Governments don't "direct" the Auditor. The Auditor is independent. The government can request, but it is up to the Auditor to determine priorities for review. Perhaps the two references to "directing" the Auditor general are rhetorical excesses since the platform document finally backs off and uses proper language under the heading of "The Plan" saying "A Conservative government led by Stephen Harper will ask the Auditor General to conduct, on an expedited basis, an audit of all federal grant and contribution programs and contracting policies." What other rhetorical excesses exist in the platform?

The Conservative plan says that "The Auditor General will be given the authority to examine the affairs of Crown Corporations and government-funded Foundations." Section 14 of the Auditor General Act already gives the Auditor General authority over crown corporations. Perhaps the Conservatives meant to suggest that the Auditor should have authority to reach into private companies such as the ad agencies that defied her reach during the sponsorship scandal. If that is the case, Harper should say so. As it is, it looks like the quickly drafted platform document doesn't know of what it speaks.

It is understandable that Stephen Harper would raise the Auditor General to a point of near worship. Her report on the sponsorship scandal destroyed Paul Martin's hopes for a landslide win, and could contribute to Harper forming a minority Conservative government. A Harper government will find that the Auditor is non-partisan. She will find waste and mismanagement in his government just as Auditors have done with every government. His enthusiasm may then wane.